A Gem Of A Person

In nature gems are not found cut, polished and  mounted on finely crafted gold settings. They are found mixed up with dirt, rocks and mud. One has to learn to identify and recognise them, make the effort to pick them from among the rubble, clean, cut, polish them and place them in the right setting before we see them shine in their full glory. It is the same with good people.


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 15

"Oh no!!, So did Billy not get to propose to Clare? " asked Sarita, visibly saddened.

"What happened?" asked Shanta.

Gilly continued, "Well, Billy did get to pop the question to Clare, in front of Harold, his lawyer, and Dolly's family. But before he could get an answer, something happened. He had not anticipated the planning, preparedness and low cunning of Dolly and her son.

Dolly had, with her 'woman's intuition', got wind of the possibility that something significant might happen on Clare's visit to the West, when Billy sent an invitation for her and Karl to come along and be present. He had written saying it would be appreciated by both him and Harold. He wanted them all to be a witness to the proposal and its result, so that they could see things for themselves, He hoped that they would then respect Clare's decision without fuss and go along with it.

Dolly had planned ahead with Karl on the possibility of Clare marrying Billy and how they should 'defend and protect' Clare's 'interests'. They had quietly got themselves a lawyer and drafted a 'fair and just' pre-nuptial' agreement for Clare, with themselves as her 'guardians of this disabled girl that they have long raised together and protected'. They wanted to 'continue to be her loving carers' even if she were married to Billy or in case of a divorce. They cited Billy's extensive work commitments, long hours of work and travel to suggest that it would be best if they were living very near Clare, for 'as long as we are needed and of use to our special child'. The terms included quite generous provisions for themselves as 'loving carers, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year around' . The costs this involved that were presented as ' tiny, miniscule amounts' that would barely make a difference to Billy's wealth. It was all made out to be a great gesture of 'self-sacrifice' and willingness to uproot themselves from their home and move all the way to the West just 'to be able to care for  precious Clare until our dying days'. This was all in addition to the 'fair and just settlement' of a portion of Billy's wealth that Clare would get in case of a divorce or separation. Karl and Dolly generously offered to help her manage that burden too, if it came that.

In short, it was a way of ensuring Karl and Dolly never needed to work another day in their lives and could have the best lifestyle and leisure, hanging on to the coat tails of Clare who was supposed to be hanging on to Billy's coat tails! Dolly had thoughtfully and pointedly suggested to Karl that their house, for which the mortgage was now paid off, be written over to her son Bruce's name if Clare were to marry Billy. Clare would not be needing the house or be able to 'take responsibility' for such a 'burden'. Bruce had, with a great show of the spirit of sacrifice, offered to take on the responsibility of owning it, even though he did not apparently really want it. Karl, bamboozled and clearly under the influence of Dolly agreed, despite a tiny voice in his heart that questioned the fairness towards his own Clare, regarding her share of the house that she would have otherwise got. I suppose, he was so carried away by the huge, yet unfathomed fortune of Billy, a share of which Clare might get, that would be much larger than the value of his little house. He did not have the heart or will to fight Dolly on this. She seemed much 'smarter' in money matters and he deferred to her.

Dolly had desperately wanted to make sure that Billy agreed to her terms before Clare agreed to marry him. So, she was always alert to the possibility of a 'proposal' and wanted to pre-empt any such thing if possible or atleast get it agreed upon before the 'wedding'.

So, when Dolly's family and Harold's lawyer were all at Harold's bedside, the atmosphere was a bit different from their previous visits. It seemed there was something special about to happen.

As Clare sat next to Harold' bed holding his hand, Billy was seated near the foot of the bed. The lawyer was at the back of the room. Karl, Dolly, Bruce and his wife and kids were there too, seated at a table near by having some nibbles served.

There was a pause in the conversation between Harold and Clare. Suddenly, Billy stood up, went over to Clare, bent down on his knees. Clare dropped Harold's hand and turned towards Billy. Harold looked both and it felt like a sweet dream to him. There was a surge of love and happiness like he had not felt in a long, long time.

Karl, Dolly, Bruce and his family were all shocked. Dolly was the first to recover her wits and composure.

"Clare, I have been wanting to ask you this for sometime now. You know I love you very much. Will you marry me?"

Clare was clearly surprised and it took her a while to recover from the shock and realise what was happening. Even then, at first, she seemed to forget that she was expected to answer and that Billy was waiting. She felt a surge of happiness and numbness. It seemed an unreal dream to her.

Clare and everyone in the room were shaken out of their reveries or surprise by the sound of a cups and plates crashing down on to the floor and breaking. All eyes turned towards the harsh noise. Dolly was clutching her chest and swooning. She rolled up her eyes, thumped her chest and slid down from her chair on to the floor, pulling the table cloth with her. She let out a couple of loud gasping breaths.

Karl stood up, Bruce ran to her and tried to help her up. Billy quickly sprang up and dashed over to her. The nurse attending to Harold quickly flipped a switch on the wall and ran around Harold's bed to get to be by Dolly's side.

One of Bruce's kids screamed and the other ran towards the mother. Bruce's wife, took the kids and they all made way for the orderlies and nurses who rushed into the room in a minute.

Soon, Dolly was wheeled out in a stretcher over to another room. Clare too had gone over with Karl to be beside Dolly. Everyone wanted to know how she was doing and what had happened. 

"They are still running tests and we will know a bit later," said Billy.

His interrupted proposal was now forgotten for the moment. Harold called Billy over.
"These things happen, Billy. But you can pick up where you left off. I think she will say yes," said Harold smiling.

Billy smiled back. He too took it philosophically and with a smile.

Dolly was found to be physically okay. It was determined that she perhaps had had an anxiety attack. Dolly soon insisted that she was not feeling good, deep down inside her heart. She wanted to 'go home' and be back in her comfort zone to recover. She put up a drama of 'the doctors here in the West don't seem to understand me. No one knows me like my own doctor, back home."  That night they all went back East to their home taking Clare with her. Billy, out of grace, did not want to press Clare on the proposal right then.

"It will give her time to think about my proposal," he figured. I will try and ask her again as soon as possible. The cat was out of the bag now though.


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 14

"Why do you say that? It seems like it was going well for Billy and Clare, what happened after that"? asked Sarita.

"Yes, it seems like the money helped things go Billy's way," said Shanta.

"It surely seemed like that until Karl and Dolly found out about the feelings between Clare and Billy," said Gilly, "Then everything started to take a turn for the worse."

"What happened?" said Shanta,"I cannot sleep tonight until I know."

"Ok, I shall quickly finish the story. It is getting late," said Gilly and continued,"Karl and Dolly found out about Clare and Billy when she returned home one day from her visit to Harold's nursing home. Dolly smelled a bit of male perfume on her. They confronted Clare and created a scene and drama.

They stopped sending Clare and prevented her from calling Billy. He tried to repeatedly call her and they asked him to stop calling after ignoring his calls, refusing to let him know how Clare was doing. They stopped sending her out for therapy sessions altogether, saying she was not feeling well and not up to it.

Harold's lawyer sent them a note enquiring about Clare's condition and asked for an independent counsellor to be appointed by the court to look into Clare's situation. Ken, who was Clare's therapist and counsellor, gave his testimony about Clare being happy to visit Harold and that a sudden denial would have an adverse impact on her psychologically.

An intervention order was obtained for Clare to be interviewed independently by her social welfare counselors without Karl and Dolly being present. They refused to let that happen saying that Clare was alright, in no immediate danger, that they had been very accommodating until now and that they feared her being kidnapped and spirited away like Harold was. A court date was set to hear the appeal by Karl and Dolly, but that was still a few weeks away. Billy meanwhile, wrote and approached Karl and Dolly with a proposal to settle things out of court by making Karl and Dolly a generous offer, so that Harold's few critical weeks were not lost. Billy remembered Karl's boast that he would be in a profitable business the next day if he was not tied down by the mortgage of his house. He offered to pay off the remaining mortgage of Karl and Dolly's house if only they let Clare free to visit Harold and to see and talk to Billy without any hindrance. Billy admitted that he had deep feelings for Clare and felt she too liked him, but not sure if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. He just asked to be given a chance to speak to her and get to know her feelings, slowly and over time. He had wanted to propose to her without hurrying it. He wanted to give them both time to know each other, closely a bit longer. He would respect her decision, no matter what.

This came as an unexpected surprise to Karl and Dolly. They agreed to it, immediately as a first step, seeing that there was really no 'risk' to themselves. They withdrew their objections to Clare visiting Harold and Billy, but added a condition that they wanted to accompany her during her visits. Billy and Clare would be allowed some time to themselves in a separate room or a garden, but Clare was not to be allowed to spend nights with him. They still wanted to maintain a level of control over the whole situation. They figured that there was a lot more yet to be gained from the seemingly bottomless pockets of Billy.

In desperation, Billy and Harold agreed to their condition. Billy paid their mortgage money. Clare started to visit Harold and Billy again. Karl seemed in no hurry to start his own business. He seemed content to work his job, albeit a little less in overtime. Dolly too cut down her hours. They started to have some more comfort and leisure in their lives.

Soon the two weeks were up. Harold and Clare were both happy and used the time well. Billy and Clare too spent a bit more time together, just the two of them for a few hours in a room, or walking along the garden. Billy did not want to impose any stress of pressure.

Clare was quiet and intelligent. She was not very worldy wise, given that she spent a lot of her time on her own personal situation and physical issues. She had started to like Billy more and more. A lot had changed in her world in the short couple of weeks since Billy came back to visit them. She confided a lot in Ken, her coach and counsellor. He was privy to her feelings regarding Billy too. Harold too knew, but Clare did not want to burden him now with too many details of her situation. She wanted the time with him to be as pleasant and happy as possible. Harold seemed to have a strong faith in the ability, honesty and integrity of Billy. He seemed to believe that if she wanted it, Billy would make it all work out for the best and would be able to deal with any opposition, intelligently. Karl and Dolly always still had a negative put-down or something nasty to say about Billy. They constantly cautioned her against being "blinded by his money" and sometimes plainly suggested she not marry him.

"He seems to be buying his way and remember, even then let him know we don't come cheap!" they would often tell her. Clare kept quiet and did not disclose her feelings about Billy to them.

The two weeks went by quickly and Harold was flown over to the West and put up at another nursing home, near Billy's new company headquarters. There were weekends when Billy and Harold flew to other parts of the world that Billy wanted Harold to see. Clare flew over, accompanied by Karl and Dolly, to see them a couple of times. There were a few times when Clare did not come over to visit with Karl and Dolly citing some reasons. The months flew by and Karl had still not started his business. He had a few 'vacations' and holidays with his friends, Dolly's family and son - many of them piggy-backed onto the trips West with Clare.

Harold gradually got weaker and was then confined to his nursing home. His end was nearing. He devoted a great deal of his waking hours with Billy, working and guiding him through an important project for their company. That would ultimately pay-off in billions of dollars in revenue. Billy's company's stock rose even higher. His worth increased by almost a billion dollars, along with his company's valuation on the word that they were working on the project and technologies that Harold was guiding them.

For Billy,  it was long hours working, travel and time spent with Harold. Harold had asked Clare how she felt about Billy, knowing that he wanted to marry her, would she accept him if he proposed? She had nodded her assent shyly.

Harold had only one last personal wish left now.  If it were possible, he wanted to see Billy and Clare get married, knowing the feelings they had for each other.

He had confided it to one of his nurses. The word got around to Billy through others. Billy knew that Harold would never pressure him or have things hurried just to suit him. But it seemed right to ask Clare to marry him and if she said yes, to do it soon.

Billy planned to propose to Clare on her next visit.He did not let on to anyone. He wanted to surprise both Clare and Harold, by proposing at his bedside. But alas, it was not to be!" said Gilly with a sad sigh and expression.


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

CosmoIndian Cuisine

Cosmopolitan cooking in the homes of Indian families living in the West. How many of them have you come across?

1. Thalicchu kottina Pasta with turmeric - (Pasta with tadka)

2. Hommus dip with Potato Chips and Pakoda

3. Naan base Pizza with ham, cheese and mushrooms

4. Baked potato with coriander, curry leaves and sour cream

5. Spicy beetroot chutney sandwiches

6. Lemon rice with side of steamed broccoli with melted cheese on top

7. Chicken tikka with steamed carrots, corn and beans on the side

8. Minestrone or Tomato soup garnished with crushed pappadaams

9. Pizza with spiced egg-plant roast, roasted potato topping and hot tomato/mango chutney

10. Rasam with croutons

11. Yoghurt rice with potato chips

12. Scrambled eggs with onions and green chillies

13. Caesar salad incorporating grated carrots with a mustard seeds and a squirt of lemon juice


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 13

Gilly continued, "Karl and Dolly, took half a day off from their respective workplaces, just to go and see Harold the next day. They spoke rather mysteriously about a family emergency, Harold having moved out to a nursing home and their colleagues all went along sympathetically and told them to take time off if needed.

The three visited Harold, chauffeured in a luxurious van that came with a provision for wheelchairs. Dolly had bedecked herself in her best dress and ornaments, had Karl put on his best suit. Clare had the simplest attire of all. All of them looked scrubbed, neat and their very best. They attracted considerable interest in the neighbourhood with the comings and goings of very expensive looking vehicles to and from the house.

Soon, they all entered Harold's room which was like a large suite in a fancy hotel with a bit of medical equipment all around. He was very happy to see Clare. She wheeled herself up to him and he stood up, bent and leaned over to hug her and kiss her on the top of her head. He welcomed all of his visitors and asked them to be seated. There was a helper/nurse on call for him 24 hours. Harold was not much changed, but he seemed to have a little bit more energy than usual. His demeanour was one of someone looking forward to an exciting adventure or trip, while still being relaxed physically.

"How often can I come and visit you?" asked Clare.

"As often as you want. I would like to see you as much as I can, since it is only another couple of weeks before I move to the West," said Harold.

"She cannot come often, she cannot miss her physical therapy classes. We have a tough time taking her there as it is, since you fell ill," interposed Dolly almost accusingly.

"Oh, yes! I understand. But I can arrange for her to be taken there and back. She can even come here - they have the facilities and experts. Since I will try to see if they can get her own therapist to come here and work with her. That way, she can visit me and get the therapy done in one outing. I shall arrange for her to be picked up and dropped off safely," said Harold in a matter-of-fact manner.

Karl and Dolly exchanged glances! The old man was now behaving as if he himself had come into a big fortune. They could not believe that Billy was that wealthy and would just give away so much to this old man, even if he was a friend.

"Oh! I think you might want to lie down and rest. Are you sure you know what you are saying?" Dolly could not resist a smile.

"I am certain. I know what I am offering Dolly. You can confirm it with my lawyer if you want. Please do so," said Harold, calmly.

"Well, that will save us the trouble for the time being. Well, we will have to find alternate arrangements to take Clare to the therapist after that anyway," said Karl thoughtfully.

"Don't get too used to all this fancy vans and chauffeurs, Clare," Dolly chided her,"This is just for a little while."

Clare looked a hurt, as she had not said anything and had no say over the matter. Harold looked at her silent swallowing of the taunt. He turned towards Karl and Dolly.

"Karl and Dolly, I would to do something for Clare and hope you will let me, please!" said Harold in the tone of a supplicant.

"What is that?" asked Karl, sounding a bit cautious.

"Of course, she is your grand niece.You can give her anything you want. We are just her guardians. We will take on the responsibility to make sure she get it," Dolly was quick, again, with visions of a slice of the 'good fortune' coming in within her own control.

"I would like to arrange for Clare to be driven to and from her doctor's and therapist appointments as long as she needs to be," said Harold.

Now, Karl and Dolly were both stunned and a bit disbelieving.

"Are you sure, you know what you are talking about, Harold? Are you really OK?" Dolly was getting a bit annoyed at what she thought was a bit of crazy talk.

"Can we speak to doctor or someone, please?" Karl asked, actually a bit worried about the impact of such grand promises on Clare, if they turned out to be empty ones.

"Of course, you may. Would you like to speak with my lawyer now?" asked Harold.

Everyone looked a bit shocked. Harold pushed a few buttons next to him and the voice of his lawyer came over a speaker.

"Yes, Harold, How are you? How can I help?"

"Hello, Brad! Karl, Dolly and Clare are here visiting me. I offered to arrange Clare to be driven to and from her doctors and therapists for as long as she requires it.Karl and Dolly are not sure it is a serious offer or that I am able to do so. Can you please confirm my offer on your authority?"

"Sure! Hello, Karl and Dolly! Are you there? I am Harold's lawyer."

"Yes, we are here!" Karl was shell-shocked, Dolly was impressed too.

"I just want to confirm that Harold is in a position to make good on his offer and promise. I can send you documents confirming the offer and with the details of the van service. They are the same people that drove you today. Can Clare please confirm that she would accept being driven by them? If she is there, can she say her assent to the arrangements as well you two?" the lawyer was very pleasant in his tone.

Karl looked at Dolly for a few seconds and she decided not to let go of this in case Harold or someone changed their minds. Clare sat silently, watching. and listening.

"I have one question," Dolly asked,"Is it only for Clare to be taken or can we go along too? You know we often combine the doctor's trips with other chores and shopping. It will be a bit of pain planning separate trips."

"Both of you, please feel free to go along with Clare wherever else you need to go on your rounds when you go to see the doctors or therapists," the lawyer was very clear.

"Then of course, we will accept the offer," Dolly was quick on the mark.

"Clare, what do you think?" asked the lawyer.

Clare looked at Harold, who was nodding towards her encouragingly.

"Yes, I would like that. I would like to see Harold here and do my therapy sessions here before he moves West. Please convey our thanks to Billy," Clare said simply.

So it was all settled and the lawyer signed off.  Soon Karl and Dolly were invited to dinner that evening by Harold.

"What, do we want hospital food for dinner?" Dolly asked mockingly.

"Well no. There is a good cafeteria down the hall. You can order from the menu. It is very good," said Harold.

"Sure, let us see what all Billy Boy can afford!" said Dolly laughing and intensely curious to gauge the level of 'good fortune' that Harold had come upon, which must still only be a fraction of what Billy must have struck in some mysterious dealings in life!!

Soon, they all went over to the excellent cafeteria that had a menu, prices and ambience to rival the best restaurants in town. They had a memorable meal and then decided to head home. They said their goodbyes to Harold who walked back slowly to his own room.

Karl and Dolly were very impressed with the place and facilities of the nursing home. Experiencing the understated elegance and the level of service only added to their awe and both were shaking their heads and exchanging meaningful glances as they. It started to mess with the minds of Dolly and Karl."


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Landscape of Life

Often, for the fear of their falling into rivers and ravines, we discourage our children from scaling the high peaks of life. We would rather they stick to the 'safe' average path or road that was made by a vast majority who have passed by, occasionally admiring some great views from 'safe' vistas or scenic view points. We bolster our approach with our own experiences in straying off the beaten path, forgetting that the desire to do so was as irresistible to us as it is to our children.

The road, the peaks, the rivers and the ravines, are all needed and important in life. They are all there to be experienced, with care, effort and some calculated risks, hopefully avoiding catastrophic or fatal injuries. Not everyone wants the exact same journey, even while on the same road.


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

Kuch kehne ko - To say something (To say a little bit of something)

Kuch kehne ko

Ek baandh mein ehsaason-ko baandh rakha hai

Kuch kehne ko jee bahut chahata hai
Bahut kuch kehne ko jee chahata hai
Kuch kum hi bolte hain hum is dar se
ki kahin kuch jyaada hi na bol deyn

Ek baandh mein ehsaason-ko baandh rakha hai

Dar hai ki Faatak kuch jyaada khul jaaye
Tho kahin umadkar aisi baad na aajaaye
Jo bhi raaste mein uske aajaaye
Palak jhapke nahin woh beh jaaye

Haan,  Ek baandh mein ehsaason-ko baandh rakha hai

Jo deewaar ke is paar jhanke wohi jaan saktha hai
Ab paani ki kya gehraayee hai
Ab yeh kitne hi barson-se bhara jaa raha hai
Aur kaisi meri tanhaayee hai

Maine ek baandh mein ehsaason-ko baandh rakha hai

Yeh hum unse tho nahin keh sakte
Par poori duniya ko sunaa sakte hain
Ajeeb duniyadari hai
Yeh ajeeb majboori hai

Ek baandh mein ehsaason-ko baandh rakha hai

***************************************************************************
English Translation: Note that the word "Kuch" (pronounced as 'ku-tch') can mean "something" or "a little bit of something". In this both the meanings are intended, using the word only once!
The word for 'dam' is the same as the word for 'bind'

To say something (a little bit of something)

The feelings have been dammed (bound) within bounds

The heart very much desires to say a little bit of something,
The heart also desires to say a lot of things
I say very little for the fear
that I might say too much

The feelings have been dammed (bound) within bounds

I am afraid that if the floodgates open just a crack too wide
The torrents will gush down and cause such a flood
That anything in its path
will be swept away in the blink of an eye

Yes, The feelings have been dammed (bound) within bounds

Only those who peep beyond the dam wall can know
What is the depth of the water
How it has been filling up over the years
And what my loneliness is like.


I have dammed my feelings and kept them bound

I cannot tell this to that person
But I can tell the whole world
How strange are the ways of the world
How strange are our compulsions!

The feelings are dammed and kept in check.

Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 12

"So, did Billy really go and see Karl and Dolly that day?" Sarita was excited to know and looked at Gilly, who had a far-off expression.

"Yes. Billy showed up shortly driven in a long, black car that seemed almost like a limousine.

Karl answered the door. He was immediately taken aback and a bit intimidated. Billy stood flanked by two men in suits. One was the lawyer representing Harold and the other was a silent, tall, powerfully built man who was introduced as Sol. He looked like and most assumed him to be a bouncer or bodyguard. In reality he was one of the sharpest lawyers in that firm. He stayed silent and observed while the others did the talking. It was useful for him to be seen as sort of a hulking dumb brute and he could play the role really well.

"Good evening Karl! Can we come in?" asked Billy in a confident pleasant tone.

"Who are these people?" Dolly was suddenly at his side and asked.

"This is Harold's lawyer,"said Billy pointing to one man. who extended his business card to Karl and offered up his hand for handshake.

Billy then turned to the other man and said,"And this is Sol."

Sol looked directly into their eyes with almost a childlike innocent look that Karl and Dolly found disconcerting.  He bowed his head ever so slightly in their direction.

"Come in. This way!" Dolly seemed to recover first.

Karl and Dolly led them to the living room. Billy could not spot Clare. She was in her room.

After the initial exclamations of faked indignation and outrage at Harold for his ingratitute, Dolly and Karl, proclaimed some kind of relief at the situation. They confirmed that they were not responsible or liable for any more expenses or efforts towards Harold.

"Well, if that old man has somehow managed to take advantage of this young man's good fortune, we cannot do anything. They are both adults We have done our best for that old fool, all these years." Dolly was careful not to say anything directly against Billy or even sound as if she challenged his goodwill. Karl was having a tough time. His face showed it and Dolly kept him silent by taking over. Sol sat in the corner observing, not saying a word.

"Well, I am glad we all agree to the current arrangements and can proceed from here," said Harold's lawyer.

He continued, "There is one thing Harold wanted me to convey to you all. He wanted to thank you - Karl and Dolly for all you have done for him all these years. He realises that he has left suddenly and that it might affect you in some ways. He has sent you a cheque for half the amount of his aged pension for the next six months. You have incurred some expense for him and he hopes this will compensate for it and smooth the transition.

He sends his love to Clare. He has sent her a little package. He would like to see her and very much hopes that you can all visit him at his new place as soon as you can. He will be moving out west in a couple of weeks."

Dolly looked eagerly to take the little package sitting next to the lawyer.

"I'll give it to her," she said reaching out.

"Would you mind calling her? Can we have a word with her, please?" asked Harold's lawyer.

"She is in her room. She is upset and traumatised with all this happening when she was home alone," Karl started. He was waiting to somehow assert his unhappiness and thought he had found a way.

"Oh! Really, I am sorry to hear that! In that case I would really like to speak to her and make it right with you folks. We could arrange counselling for her and you and compensate you for any trouble," said Billy. The lawyer nodded assent.

"She will be alright with a bit of care. We are helping and comforting her," Dolly pitched in quickly, with a meaningful look at Karl, "I'll go and get her." Dolly glared hard at Karl, willing him to not to go over the top, but to play it just right. Karl looked puzzled at her, not being able to divine he subtle message.

"But you cannot force her to talk to you, can you?" asked Karl.

"No, Sir. We cannot force anyone. We just thought that since she is over 18 and old enough legally to speak her mind, we would like to hear from her directly. We would like to help her if she is upset. Harold seems to care about her too," the lawyer explained.

 Karl was still trying to decide how to react to this. Dolly was observing him as she got up and headed towards Clare's room.

Suddenly, she turned and called out,"Karl, come quickly, and help me in the kitchen while I get Clare."

Karl got up and followed her. Dolly pulled him into their bedroom on the way and shut the door.

[There was a hurried discussion in emphatic sibilant whispers, with Dolly directing Karl. Her mind seemed to be going at full speed, while Karl's was still trying to get past the first gear.
"Should we let them talk to her? I mean they cannot force us to, in our own house!" Karl was starting to get riled up and unless stopped, could work himself to an angry madness. Dolly nipped it in the bud.

"Karl!! Just listen to me!! If we play this right, we could get something more. They seem willing to pay and they sure seem to be able to afford it.  Darling, just do as I say," Dolly was firm, she caught hold of his shirt front, looked him in the eye with a glint of a sly smile. Karl had always found her attractive in such a mood. She softly whispered instructions.]

Dolly and Karl, walked into Clare's room.

"Clare dear. We know you have been through a lot and are upset. That old man has sent you a package or something. His lawyer is here with Billy. They are willing to pay for your counselling and compensate for your suffering. You don't have to say very much, just that you are upset and not feeling well. Don't talk much. We can arrange things with them," Dolly took a look at Clare's face. It had an anxious and confused expression. She wanted the lawyers to see that. She got behind the wheelchair. Karl followed at the side. They emerged in the living room shortly.

Billy's eyes went towards Clare and she looked back at him directly for a few seconds. Karl had his hands on her one shoulder and striking the pose of the affectionate father. Dolly was keenly observing the lawyer's expression. The lawyer and Sol looked at Clare's expression change as her eyes met Billy's glance briefly. It went from her being troubled and anxious to one of sweetness and joy, even as the anxiety remained. She was however confused and did not understand what was going on.

"Clare, we hear that you are not feeling well and are upset with all that has happened today. I know it has all been sudden. We want to help. How are you doing now? What do you feel?" asked the lawyer looking intently at her.

Clare was silent for a few seconds, trying to gather her thoughts and wits.

"Clare! How are you? Harold sends you his love and this package," said Billy, proffering her the little package. She took it and set it on her lap. Not in a hurry to open it.

"How is Harold doing? Is he Ok?" she asked quietly, concern in her voice.

"Oh, Harold is doing quite well. He is resting comfortably and is in good spirits. He is receiving the best care possible," said the lawyer, "However, he misses you and would like you to visit him. Would you like to do that?"

"Of course, I would very much like to visit Harold. I miss him. When can I visit him?" Clare said clearly and firmly.

"She has had a rough day. Right now, I am not sure Clare is in a state..." started Dolly, desperately trying to preempt her answer and get her back into the room as quickly as possible.

"I am Ok and would like to see him as soon as possible. I miss him and would like to see him at his new place, that is all. I can then visit him regularly, perhaps less often," replied Clare interrupting her.

"It can all be arranged. There will be someone who can drive you all there and back. Here is the phone number. Please call and arrange any time convenient to you. Harold will be looking forward to seeing you all, Clare," said Billy. He handed a couple of business cards to Clare.

Clare took the cards with a smile. Her mood and appearance brightened up considerably. Karl and Dolly, who were standing behind her, were the ones who were not able to observe it.

Dolly, however had had enough of the discussion going out of her control. She said loudly,"That is enough for today, young lady. You need to eat and go to bed. Karl, dear, can you please give her dinner and put her to bed? I will see you later before I turn in, sweetie! Say goodnight to these gentlemen."

Dolly lightly kissed Clare on the top of her head. She signalled Karl to turn her wheelchair around.
With a wave towards Billy and the lawyer, Clare was soon gone.

Dolly sat down to talk business with the lawyer, facing him, next to Billy. Her glance went between the two often trying to read them more deeply.

"So, is that settled? Can you all visit Harold tomorrow? Clare seems to want it very much and says she is feeling up to it?" said the lawyer.

Dolly nodded silently. She was working it out in her head. She decided that it was best not to rush into anthing hasty in her proposal, particularly with a clever lawyer sitting in front of her. It would be best to sleep on the situation and then come up with a plan.

"Perhaps sometime tomorrow at the earliest. We will get back to you folks and call that number," Dolly said. She then clarified who were all the contacts and what their phone numbers were once again. She was a calm and thorough woman when she needed to be.

"You can call me or leave a message for me at this number anytime," said Billy handing her a couple of his personal business cards.

"We will leave now and be in touch," said the lawyer. He, Billy and Sol stood up.

Soon Karl came back having served Clare dinner. He and Dolly saw their guests off.


Karl and Dolly rushed back quickly to Clare's side. They were keen to see the contents of the package and pick up the cards handed to her. Luckily, Billy and the lawyer had, with some forethought, put in duplicates of all the business cards and contacts. Clare had seen them and kept one set for herself. She opened the package and it was a musical doll that played one of her favourite tunes - (she and Harold had seen it in the mall in one of their outings), a little stuffed bear and some chocolates."


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

Do Patte (Two Leaves)

Murjhe hue bhi sundar - Ek prerna

(Withered yet beautiful - An inspiration)

Photos credit and Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

Ek Purana Dost Mila

Ek Purana Dost Mila

Chaalees baras baadh 

ek bachpan ka dost mila

Tho usey bhi tha 

humse koi gila

Kehne laga 

ye kya haal banaa rakkha hai apna

Ye nahin hai 

jo humne dekha tha tere liye sapna

Baal tere ud gaye

Daanth tere sad gaye

Bibi tujhe chod gayi

Bacche bichad gaye

Ek pal ke liye tho hum ye sun kar 

mushkil me pad gaye

Phir humne unse kaha dat kar

Hum zindagi se bhid gaye

Aaj kuch bhi nahin hume daraatha

Dukh se aankhen nahin bhar-aatha

Dukh-Sukh jhelna seekha hai

Dono pe hasna seekha hai

Hum zindagi se bhid gaye

Aur mauth se bhi lad gaye

Haar nahin maani ab thak

Ab aisi oonchai par chad gaye



English Translation:
 I Met An Old Friend


After 40 years

I met a childhood friend

He too had

A complaint about me


He started to say,

"What have you done with yourself?

This is not the dream we had for you.


Your hair has blown away

Your teeth have rotted

Your wife has left you

And your children have moved away!"


For a moment, upon hearing this

I was in a fix

Then I told him confidently

"I have taken on life!


Now nothing scares me

Sadness does not bring me to tears

I have learned to bear happiness and grief

I have learned to laugh in the face of both


I have taken on life

I have even fought  death

I have not admitted defeat

I have scaled such heights!"

Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 11

Gilly continued.

"That afternoon, when Karl and Dolly were away, a team of lawyers, social workers and police arrived at their house, along with Harold's doctor. There were even a couple of photographers recording video of the whole proceedings. There was a big convoy of cars parked outside. There was a large van too. It was a mobile office.

The social worker knocked on the door. Clare answered it, and directed them to Harold's room. She was expecting them. Harold had had a long talk with her. She understood the situation and The lawyers and doctors trooped into the room.

The doctor went in first. Harold greeted him with a smile and tried to get up.

"Harold, that's ok. Just lie down please. I will do a quick check on you," the doctor waved him down,"We have a some folks from social services, the police and a couple of lawyers. They will speak to you in just a bit."

The doctor did a quick check of Harold's vital signs. He was weak but lucid, clear in speech and thought. The lead social worker asked him a few questions and inquired if he was OK talking to the lawyers sent by Billy. Harold clearly stated his assent. The lawyer asked if Harold would be willing to accept him as his own lawyer? Harold nodded his acceptance. Then suddenly he smiled and said loud and clear,"Yes, I accept you as my lawyer. I want you to represent me. Thank Billy for me, please."

They clarified a few more details clearly and loudly with many officially looking on and everything being recorded.

The lawyers and social workers all  conferred on a plan together. Someone pulled out a walkie-talkie, spoke briefly into it and said."The ambulance is on its way. Harold, let's help you pack."

A couple of people came forward. Harold pointed to two large bags and boxes.

"There are a few more boxes in the garage. Clare can show you," he said. Clare was in the hallway outside the now crowded room.

The social workers spoke to Clare who guided them to Harold's belongings. Someone from the mobile van outside came in and handed a few copies of neatly stapled sheaves of legal documents. One social worker handed a few to Clare, set near the front door.

Shortly, a private ambulance pulled up outside. A small team came out of it. Soon, with speed and efficiency, Harold was wheeled away in a stretcher into the ambulance. His belongings were placed in another car. He gave Clare a hug and kiss. She waved to him, smiling, but with tears streaming down her cheeks. Harold's eyes moistened too. He said,"Hope to see you soon, dear. Come visit me."

The entire proceedings had taken about half an hour. Clare shut the door behind them. The legal and police team left a fat envelope at the door outside. The convoy moved out.

Clare then went inside and called Dolly at work over the telephone. Dolly who received the call was surprised.
"Is everything OK at home? Are you ill or something?" asked Dolly, worried.

"No, I am fine, the house is OK, but Harold is gone.." Clare started to explain, but Dolly cut her off.

"Look, if that old man decides to go out and create drama when he is ill, I cannot come and babysit him. Don't bother me with such. He will come back the way he went. Don't disturb me at work for silly things," Dolly was cross.

"But... He went with these people who came and..." Clare tried to tell her.

"Oh, for heavens' sake girl! Let me work in peace. If you are OK and the house did not catch fire or flood, don't bother me now!!" Dolly hung up the phone.

Clare tried to call Karl next. He was away at lunch outside with his friends. A receptionist at the office asked to take down a message. She asked if Clare was OK, or ill or if was there an emergency at home. When Clare said that was not the case, she made a note and said Karl would get back to her when he returned to work. Karl came back after an hour, saw the note and asked if Clare had called again. Since she had not he assumed it was something that was not important. He decided to wait checking up and see for himself as he planned to leave work a little early that day.

It must have been a great surprise when Karl and Dolly got home that evening. Karl was first. He was startled to see the documents left behind.  Karl called the phone numbers listed on the documents and spoke to various people who explained everything to him. Legally, Harold was capable of making a decision to move out and no one could stop him. Everything had been done in a proper legal fashion, supervised by appropriate authorities. Harold was now in a fancy nursing home. Dolly too was surprised when she returned shortly. She was about pile on to Clare about disturbing her at work for nothing at all, when she saw Karl with papers in his hand. She knew something was the matter. Upon hearing the news about, she too was not too upset.

Clare dreaded the interrogation. She had discussed this with Harold and decided to be quiet about her feelings for Billy or collusion with Harold. Luckily, Karl and Dolly did not suspect her of any deep involvement. They were stunned, but in some sense relieved to be free of any responsibility towards Harold from then on. They however threw words around loudly,"Ungrateful! wretch!", "Good riddance", "that old coot." In some ways they seemed thankful that Billy had spared them possibly the responsibility and unpleasant last stages of caring for Harold.

Clare noted however that more than the surprise of Harold leaving, the news about Billy's wealth seemed to have stunned the two. The could not seem to get over the fact that the 'sneaky little bast***d' had kept the news hidden from them. They were clever enough to figure that he must be quite wealthy to be able to afford what he had done, but still had no idea to Billy's real worth. Clare too did not know, but she knew Billy was no longer the scared, timid young man he seemed to be. She guessed he was wealthier than Karl and Dolly, perhaps as much at the Johnsons who lived at the corner. They were known in the neighbourhood for having paid off their mortgage fully many years ago and living the good life from the earnings of their three children - two tradesmen and a nurse! They were the envy of the families in the area.

Late that evening, they received a phone call from Billy. Dolly answered the phone.

"Who is it? What do you want?" she asked in her usual brusque tone. At first she did not recognise Billy's "Hello!". Then as she realized in shock the gall he apparently had calling them that same day, she wanted to really tell him off. But strangely, upon hearing his confident but polite voice identifying himself and asking if she and Karl could make time to meet him in a little while, Dolly's demeanour and tone changed. She could not get herself to sound angry at a young man who was much wealthier than her. She was surprised at herself, how her response sounded.

"Of course. Come on by. We are here and would like to talk to you Billy."

Karl's jaw tightened upon hearing Billy's name. He too was surprised to hear that Billy wanted to come over and chat with them.

"He has some chutzpah, that rascal, ready to walk into the lion's den! Yes, I would like to see him," he growled.

"Look, Karl. Be careful how you talk and what you say. He is not alone now. He apparently has a lot of powerful people with him. I don't know how he is suddenly rolling in the money now. Could be with the mob or something. Just calm down and don't show your anger or anything, until we find out more about him. Remember, he has saved us a heap of expenses and trouble by taking away that old coot," Dolly looked Karl in the eyes, waving her finger at him and told him firmly to behave. Karl seemed to quickly fold, apparently from habit."


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

Adalat-e-Ishq Mein (In The Court Of Love)

Adalat-e-Ishq mein aksar kaatil hi faisla sunaati hai,
Aur to Aur,
gazab ki baat yeh hai ki
sazaa bhi wohi sunaati hai

English Translation:

In the court of love, it is generally the 'killer' who sits in judgement,
And then, the strange wonder is that she also pronounces your sentence!




Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 10

Billy came back the next day morning, in a very calm, confident and decisive frame of mind. He had had a series of long conversations with some people over the phone, late into the night. He was early. He came before Karl left for his work. He knocked on the front door.

"What? You again? What do you want now?" demanded an annoyed Karl,"We are all busy getting ready for work. Don't you have something useful to do other than hang around?"

"Good morning. Sorry to disturb you, but I will not get in your way. I need to talk to Harold rather urgently," said Billy.

"Who the hell is at the door?" Dolly's voice bellowed out from within the house.

"Its that kid, Billy, again!" said Karl, uncertain as to whether he should let Billy in,"Says he wants to see Harold about something,"

"Ask him to go away and come back another day. Darn it!! I am already late," Dolly shouted.

"You heard her," said Karl starting to shut the door in Billy's face.

Billy stepped forward and put his one hand across the door jamb and the other stopped the door. Karl's face started to redden in fury, but he paused when he heard the beseeching tone of Billy.

"Please!! I'm sorry, Karl, I don't mean to be rude. But I have to leave town soon. I will only take a couple of minutes and be gone, without getting in your way. Please let me see Harold and say goodbye at least!" Billy pleaded.

Karl actually enjoyed and relished the sight of Billy begging him thus. He decided to let him in, shouting back at Dolly,"Says he is leaving town and just wants to say goodbye for a moment. He will not bother us again. He is begging."

He then let the door open,"Straight that way," he pointed towards Harold's room.

Billy went in quickly. Clare was nowhere to be seen.

Harold was awake and lying reclined in bed, almost in a sitting position, propped up by huge pillows.

"Hi Billy, Are you leaving town? Wish you well in your job," said Harold smiling.

"No, Harold. I am not leaving yet,"said Billy in almost a whisper,"I just needed to see you. I want to ask you something real quick. Please listen carefully. Can you hear me clearly?"

Harold nodded.
"Are you happy here? Are you not miserable with the way you are treated?"

"Well, its not exactly what I would like, but its my fate. I have no choice," replied Harold.

"No, you do have a choice Harold. I want to get you out of here, out of this house. I want you to come with me out West and spend your last days with me. I want to show you my company. I will arrange the best medical care and take care of you. Will you come see your advice in action and help me start off on bigger ideas?" Billy asked in a gentle but such confident tone that Harold was surprised for a moment.

He looked at Billy's face for a few seconds intently.

"Take a minute to think it over, Harold. If you have any thing to attend to here, I can arrange that too," said Billy.

"Sure, I would like to see you, but I am not sure Karl or Dolly will let me go or make it easy for you. They will make a big fuss," said Harold.

"Don't worry about that, Harold. All I want you to do is answer me clearly and state your preference. I will take handle Karl and Dolly," said Billy with a quiet confidence.

"Harold, would you like me to arrange to move you out, on your own will, even if Karl disagrees? All you need to say is "Yes", and I will proceed, without looking back," said Billy again in a quiet whisper

Harold looked at Billy and around his room for about fifteen seconds and then quietly said, "Yes, Billy. I would like to spend my last days with you."

"That's settled. I will have people here soon, later today. Just remember to answer clearly and confirm this, if anyone asks. I will be sending a couple of lawyers and others," said Billy.

"Billy, I would like Clare to visit me. They may keep her from that," said Harold, thoughtfully.

"Don't worry. I will take care of that too. I need to ask her something too," said Billy, seemingly prepared to face anything.

"Billy!" asked Harold with a searching look into his eyes,"What exactly are your intentions towards Clare? Is it what I suspect it is?"

"I love her. I know she likes me, but I am not sure if she loves me. I would marry her tomorrow if she will. I would like her to be a part of our lives. Don't worry about her. I will attend to it properly. Let's get this done first," said Billy simply.

"Aaah, the waters run deep, I see," said Harold,"Look. I know Clare likes you very much too. I don't know anything more. I would like to see you two together, if she too felt the same way about you. She is not happy and free here."

"I think Karl and Dolly will change their minds about cooperating with me," said Billy confidently,"and I am willing to wait a while and work at making them do so willingly."

"Billy, I suggest you keep your feeling for Clare under their radar for now. I think they will make it harder for you, once they come to know about your financial situation," said Harold, thinking that perhaps Billy expected their attitude to change for the better once they came to know of his enormous weath, He had long known from the talk around the house how Karl and Dolly viewed even moderately well-off young men that they taunted Clare about. He did not want Billy to be taken advantage of.

"OK, I am going now, Harold. Tell Clare I stopped by and also convey my regards to her. I doubt I will be allowed to see her for a few more days, until I have sorted out certain issues directly with Karl and Dolly. I guess they will be very upset with me by this evening. Please make a list of all your things that you need to pack and take with you by this evening," said Billy.

"I have almost everything I own in this room. A few items in the garage, that's it," said Harold smiling. Suddenly, he felt a sense of excitement. He knew he was going to see big changes in his life today. It was unexpected, but Harold was intelligent enough to understand and make sense of it.

"Bye! Harold, I hope to see you later tonight, somewhere else," Billy gave Harold a hug and left smiling.

He calmly walked out of the room, still not spotting Clare. There was no sight of Karl or Dolly either but heard them bustling about in another room. He paused at the front door for a second and shouted,"Thank you Karl and Dolly for letting me in. Bye!"

"Shut the door properly behind you!" Dolly yelled back.

Billy left the house, walking with a spring in his step."

"You really could be a story-writer, Gilly," said Shanta. Sarita nodded.

"Well, this is one story I know well. I met Billy as this saga ended," said Gilly.

"What happened next? I am dying to know," said Sarita.

"I will tell you," said Gilly shifting her posture to be more comfortable.


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 9

All the women sat down again.

Gilly started,"Billy did not know yet, if he was in love with Clare. He just had started to care for her and liked her presence. He had made bold to let her know his feelings by the way he had given her his gift. He was not sure if she felt the same towards him. She was about five years younger than him.

They met occasionally, usually in Harold's room. Clare sat quietly while Billy talked with the old man. He asked and received advice, tips and many references from Harold to pursue his ideas and dreams. Harold took them apart to analyse, criticize and offer his opinions and listen deeply to Billy. Billy valued them very much. Their trio seemed like a small happy family to him.

In a few years, Billy left his hometown to go West. He occasionally talked to Harold over the phone when Karl and Dolly were not home. He visited Harold and Clare whenever he was in town, visiting his family. He missed Harold and Clare a lot. Everytime he visited after a long break, it seemed she had grown up significantly, there were always features as he remembered, enough to make her recognizable, but always enough to surprise. Harold, on the other hand seemed almost exactly the same, only slightly slower.

One day, Billy's company was bought over by a group of rich investors for a staggering amount and they retained him to head and run it, offering him a very attractive salary and perks. Almost overnight, he had become very wealthy, beyond his dreams. He was almost a billionaire, atleast on paper. He went home to visit and break the news to his family. He stopped by Harold's place on the way.

Normally, he would never go up to the door and knock, he would always wait for the time when Harold would come out for a walk or a stroll with Clare in her wheelchair. She would often do exercises in the small front yard or go to visit a physical therapy group run by Ken. Ken had been a very strong, physically fit athlete and mountaineer before he was confined to a wheelchair by an accident. He had pulled himself up from seemingly impossible odds to not only become active again, but enough to motivate and help others. He was employed by a company for his fitness and motivational skills.  He had worked with Clare. He knew a bit about every person who he worked with.

This day, Billy went and knocked on the front door. A very cross looking Dolly opened the door.
'What do you want?" she demanded clearly upset, angry already and more so at being interrupted.

"Hello! Is Harold around? I would like to meet him, I tried calling ahead and no one picked up the phone," said Billy politely and calmly.

"Look, I have enough on my hands without the situation with Harold. He is not well. He is in the bath with the helpers. Come back later," Dolly replied starting to shut the door in his face.

"Please, just a minute! What happened to him?" asked Billy.

"Look, I don't have time to waste chatting with you. He is not well. He is an old man. What do you expect? Come later. I am busy now," Dolly firmly shut the door even before Billy could ask what time would be convenient for him to visit again.

Billy retreated, surprised and concerned for Harold. He went home and told his parents the news of his success. They were surprised and elated at his success. His parents however had the sense and wisdom not to all pile on him financially or upset their regular life too much.
"I suppose riches that come this suddenly can go away as suddenly too. We don't want to count on that too much. We are proud of you son, but I would be proud of you even if you came back without these. You will always have a home here and we will share what he have," said his father. His mother nodded. Billy was struck at their stoic, simple values and ethics.
They just spread the word that he had got a good job and did not tell everyone, not even his siblings all the details of his wealth. "Not yet," said his mother. Everyone was happy for him and they celebrated in a restrained fashion.

Later that evening, Billy went to Harold's house and knocked on the door again. He had waited to see if Harold would appear outside during his walking time. He had not. Karl answered the door this time.

"Yes? What do you want?" he asked gruffly, brushing some crumbs from his mouth, obviously in the middle of eating something.

"Good evening. I am sorry to disturb you. I heard Harold is not well. Can I see him, please?" Billy asked in a polite tone.

"Dolly!! Its that boy again. Should we let him in?" yelled Karl turning towards the kitchen.

"Darn that nuisance!! Let's get it over with. Ask him to go over quietly from the side door," Dolly shouted back.

"Wipe your feet, come in this way and over there. We are in the middle of dinner. Harold's in his room, at the very end, across from the loo," said Karl, pointing towards the hall leading to Harold's room.

Billy walked in, stood for a second and turned, he briefly caught sight of Clare sitting in the dining room. Karl and Dolly apparently had visitors for dinner. She looked at him from a distance. Her eyes still seeking him out. She looked like an angel to him.

"Over that way, not this way!" Karl admonished Billy as if he was trying to gatecrash the dinner.

Billy walked down the dimly lit hall towards Harold's room. He knocked on the door.

A weak voice said,"Come on in."

Billy walked in and shut the door behind him.

Harold was lying reclined in bed, propped up in pillows. He looked weak and haggard. He was obviously ill.

"Hello Billy! Good to see you!" Harold smiled, waving his hand in the air.

"Harold, I am happy to see you, though not like this? What happened?" Billy's voice cracked. He was normally not given to emotions. This was the first time he had shown his feelings to Harold.

There was a chair at the foot of Harold's bed that Billy pulled up and sat next to him.

"Just getting old and other little stuff. I'll tell you later, but first you tell me how you are doing Billy? How are things at your company?" asked Harold, pre-empting Billy's eagerness to know about his condition.

Billy told him about his company being bought out and the job. Harold was obviously delighted and happy. It showed on his face and seemed to brighten up the whole room.

"I'll tell you something, Billy. They got a better deal than you. You know that, don't you?" said Harold,"Don't get me wrong Billy, I am happy for your achievements and for you now. It makes sense for you to take it now. But keep in mind, you are worth more and I hope one day, you will be making such deals for yourself."

Billy was struck by the consistent, calm thinking and goodwill of Harold towards him. It was true. The richer person in the transaction still got a better deal, even after making someone else very rich. He put away this gem in his mind for future reference and use.

'Tell me about your health, Harold," asked Billy.

Harold was very ill, terminally so and the doctors did not give him much time left - a few months more. He was not able to move around and do much even for himself. Several of his organs were failing. He was getting some carer assistance from a government program for taking his bath, medication etc. Harold was very calm and stoic about the whole thing. He seemed to be prepared for the inevitable with as much grace and dignity that he could muster.

There was a soft knock on the door.

It was Clare. She came carrying some tea and a piece of dessert in a little tray on her lap. Apparently, one of the guests had politely inquired of Karl if the 'other guest of Harold' would also like some tea or dessert.

Karl and Dolly had a sheepish look and to save them further embarrassment, quick thinking Clare, had spoken up,"I was about to take some tea over as Dad suggested."

For once, Dolly and Karl were thankful for her and they quickly went along with it.
"Don't forget to take a piece of cake too," suggested Dolly.

Billy was struck at how Clare looked now, sitting in her wheel chair. She looked healthy, had long beautiful hair like a waterfall, she had filled out nicely and shapely as far as he could see.
There is a beauty and glow in youth that the youth alone are not conscious of themselves, but subconsciously react to.

Billy caught his breath. Clare too looked at his dapper, strong figure with wisps of neatly trimmed hair on his lips and chin, with a thick mane on the head neatly groomed. He too cut a handsome figure.

"How are you Clare? It's nice to see you." said in a tone that surprised himself. Harold and Clare too could not mistake it.

"I'm doing well, Billy. How have you been?" Clare looked at him directly in the eyes for a second or two and then suddenly blushed deeply, she lowered her eyes with a flustered look, saying,"Here. Take the cake and tea."

There was nowhere to keep the tray. There was a side table with Harold's glasses and cups of water and medication. They looked around.

Then Clare said,"It's okay. I will sit here. You have this quickly and I will take it back with me."

It was good that neither Karl nor Dolly had any idea of the feelings between Billy and Clare. They wondered why she did not drop off the tea and come back, but figured she must be waiting for Billy to finish and bring the tray back. It was good, they felt.

Well, the love of Billy and Clare, grew right in front of Harold's eyes. He could sense something, but kept quiet about it.

Harold told Clare that Billy had landed a very good job out West and that he would probably be very busy in the future.

"Congratulations, Billy. I am very happy for you. Will we see you even less now?," she asked with as much cheer as she could muster despite the thought of seeing him even less frequently than now.

For a moment, Billy paused as if to answer her. Then he said,"That piece of cake looks very good. And I could use the cup of tea."

He turned his chair to sit next to her. She extended the tea cup to him. He took it in his hands.

"How do I eat the cake?" he asked, smiling mischievously.

Clare cut off a piece and scooped it with a fork and extended it to him. He set the tea cup on the tray and took the extended fork. It was getting clumsy. Harold started to smile.

"Billy, how about you keep the tea with you and Clare, just feed him pieces with the fork," Harold was ever the practical problem solver.

Clare and Billy both turned a deep pink. Billy suddenly laughed, picked up the tea cup and sat with his mouth open.

"Go on, I am an old man. I have seen worse," said Harold. Billy wondered how Harold seemed to know his and Clare's feelings even before themselves. It was later that he learned that Clare had gone through a lot of flak and harassment from Karl and Dolly upon their discovering Billy's Christmas gift to her. She had never given away Billy's name and they had assumed it to be from someone else. She had put up with taunts and terrible allegations stoically. Once, when she was alone with Harold, he had asked her about it. She said she it was Billy who had given her the gift. She had protected him so that he could continue to come and see Harold as well.

Billy ate as quickly as he could, yet tried to savour every moment as much as he could. It was then that he was sure, he was utterly in love with Clare.

Soon she left with the empty plate and cup in her tray. Billy too, decided to leave soon.  He said 'Goodnight' to Harold, promising to come and see him the next day."

Billy walked home, deep in thought.Thoughts were flowing rapidly through his mind. He wanted to go home and sort them out and come back with a clear plan of action."


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

Lutf-e-Gul ( Enjoyment of a Flower)

Lutf-e-gul uthaane ke liye use todne ki zaroorat kahan...?
.
.
Lutf-e-gul uthaane ke liye use todne ki zaroorat kahan?

gar khud gir jaaye pairon tale
Uthaakar sar par chadaa lo
ya seene se lagaa lo

English translation:

To get the enjoyment of a flower, where is the need to pluck it?
If it falls by itself at your feet
Pick it up and wear it on your head
or hold it close to your heart.

(The above is the literal meaning, the figurative meaning requires but a little pondering ;-))


Photos credit and Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved 

The Billion Dollar Giveaway - Chapter 8

Gilly spoke in a soft, clear voice.

"This is Billy's story of trying to help someone, when he made his first billion dollars. This is how he lost one of the great loves of his life.

He grew up in a working class neighbourhood. His parents were struggling - his father could not work much since he was seriously injured at work. His mother was always at home busy with all the chores and raising his two sisters and brothers. Billy was the middle kid. He was always a bit different from others. He did not take the easy way out. He struggled in school, in his first jobs. He was always full of ideas and passion. He would try new things. He realised early on that he needed others to help him achieve his goals. He always appreciated the help he received, even little gestures, words and feelings that he received from others. He had a strong sense to give back, to help those who helped him and to help others who have never done a thing for him.

Billy struggled through school. He did not enjoy the process and structure there. He drifted after finishing high school and a couple of years of college. He always seemed busy working many jobs as a mechanic, a waiter, a tutor and immersed in his own little projects that his family and friends never seemed to know about. There were a few in his circle who did.  One of them was Harold, an old man who lived down his street in an apartment building at ground level. It had a tiny front yard - fenced and gated. It was overhung by the balcony of the apartment above. Billy had met and befriended him while still in high school. Billy found in this man what he could not with his own parents, someone with time and inclination to listen and talk to him about anything.

Harold looked about in his 70s or 80s and walked slowly with a shuffle. He was often in the company of a young girl, in a ponytail, in a wheelchair, who he pushed around the yard or took for a spin around the block. Billy has seen her parents, a surly looking middle-aged couple who, presumably were the parents and an young man who visited them rarely. They never bothered to wave back or return Billy's greetings. He once got a nod from the man and a strange smile, more like a smirk from the woman.

Often, when Billy walked by, he would wave a greeting to Harold. Harold always responded with full attention and with obvious friendliness. One day as Harold walked alone, slowly, Billy did not have the heart to simply greet and move along at his own pace. He walked with him slowly all the way around the block chatting, They got to know each other a little. Harold always listened attentively and quietly. He always waited for Billy to finish his burst of talk. He would then always say or ask something that let Billy know he had listened carefully. Often what he said would be very useful to Billy, when he later thought about it, or when he looked back after events. A friendship grew between the two. One afternoon, when it was wet outside as Billy walked by, Harold invited him in. Harold lived in a small room, next to the garage. The family he lived with were his distant relations.

Harold offered Billy a piece of warm freshly baked apple crumble. The young girl in the wheel chair too was there. Harold sat on the bed, Billy in one of the two chairs beside it and the young girl pulled her wheelchair next to him.

Harold introduced the two shy youngsters to each other. The girl - Clare, was Harold's grand -niece. Her parents had taken him in and given him a place to stay in exchange for his pension and life savings that he gave them so that they could put in a deposit and buy the apartment. They had a mortgage that they were still paying. Clare's parents both worked - the father - Karl, worked as a clerk in a government job and the mother - Dolores (everyone called her Dolly) worked at the local market. Clare was Karl's daughter from a previous marriage. Her mother had died a few years ago. Dolores was not a loving step-mother. Her older son - Bruce, from her previous marriage occasionally visited them from another town.

Billy and Harold continued to chat more as Billy grew older, often on Harold's rounds of pushing Clare around the block. Billy sometimes did the pushing and once almost let her slip off the kerb into traffic. He was shaken by that, but Harold and Clare were calm and smiling. Clare was mostly silent. Billy suddenly realised the feeling of great responsibility for someone else's life and how terrible he would feel if something bad had happened. He had never thought about it until this incident. He was amazed and thankful for the grace and understanding of Clare and Harold.

There were a few times, Billy was invited in to Harold's room, but strangely only when Clare's parents were not home. Billy gathered an impression that they did not much like him and would not welcome him. Once, when Billy was there, Clare dashed out of Harold's room in her wheelchair upon hearing her mother's voice from the front yard as she returned home early from work.

One Christmas, Billy stopped by to drop off a small Christmas gift for Harold and Clare. He pushed the bell at the gate. Karl came out looking a bit annoyed.

"Speak of the devil! HAROLD!! He is here himself!" Karl shouted. "Want to ask him in?"

"No need, I'll get it for him," Harold's muffled voice came from the house.

Harold had baked a crumble and saved a portion for Billy. Karl and Dolly were apparently not  were giving him a hard time and discussing Billy just then.

Karl kept Billy waiting outside, in the bitter cold, watching his discomfiture with a smile on his face. Billy could not understand why Karl hated him.

"What are you here for? Your Christmas gift from the old man?," he asked teasingly, contempt evident in his voice.

"No, I have brought something for him," said Billy. He had the presence of mind not to mention that he had something for Clare. He made a mental note to try and hide his gift for her. He would try to give it to her some other time, if at all.

Suddenly, a thought seemed to cross Karl's mind.

"You! Come on in, for just a minute," Karl signalling towards Billy with his finger.

Billy fumbled with the gate, packages in one hand."

Gilly paused to take a sip of her drink.

Sarita said, "I am curious Gilly. How do you know so much? So many details.. You speak almost as if you were there."

"Well, Sarita, that is perceptive of you," replied Gilly, impressed,"I have known Billy for a long time. I was his psychological counsellor since shortly after this saga. I first met him as his counsellor."

"Oh! Would he be OK with your sharing his story with us?" asked Shanta.

"Yes, of course. In fact, we expected it would come up sometime or the other and prepared for it," said Gilly with a smile.

"What about Ken, he seems to know Billy for a long time too," wondered Sarita aloud, then checked herself quickly,"Sorry, I digressed, please continue Gilly."

"That's OK, Sarita. I was coming to that part anyway. Ken has known Billy for longer than I have. Ken used to be one of Clare's therapist and coach," said Gilly.

"Oh!! Is that so?" said Sarita.

"I am sorry, but I cannot contain my curiosity too. Was there something between Billy and Clare then? Is it what I suspect?" the woman's intuition in Shanta kicked in.

Gilly laughed! A bunch of women were the same everywhere in the world. They wanted to know, had great hunches and could not contain themselves.

"Well, you two guessed it. Yes, Clare was one of Billy's great loves. It was not so obvious in the early days," said Gilly.

"Now, please continue with your story from where you left off then. I cannot wait to hear the end of it. You are quite a story-teller." Sarita curled up her feet on the couch. Shanta and Gilly laughed and did the same.

"Now, where was I?" asked Gilly, smiling slightly.

"Billy was trying to get past the gate with the Christmas gift!" reminded Sarita.

"Ah yes! " continued Gilly, "He made it without any help from Karl. Who led him to the front door and inside into a cosily warm, living room. Clare was in a corner next to a Christmas tree. She appeared to be doing something with the decorations.

Karl mockingly said out loudly,"We too can be nice folks, hospitable and welcome anyone in from the street. See Harold? Your friend is here. Hey, you young rascal, let's see what you have got for him!"

Karl stretched out his hand towards Billy and demanded Harold's gift.

Billy did not want to make a scene. He took one of the packages and handed it to Karl reluctantly.

"Who is the other one for?" asked Karl.

"Not for Harold, someone else," said Billy quietly, trying to tuck it into his inner coat pocket.

Harold came into the room, carrying a small tray with a large slice of freshly made apple crumble.

Dolly, followed him. As Billy said,"Hello, Merry Christmas." to her, she waved him towards a seat in the room.

"Sit down. Better not eat standing," she said brusquely.

Billy sat down and ate the crumble, while Harold sat across from him. Karl shook the package that was Harold's gift and joked. He then thrust it towards Harold, who took it calmly. He smiled a thanks at Billy. Clare sat expressionless and watched from her wheelchair.

Billy felt awful at the atmosphere in that house. He ate quietly. He was thankful that he did not attract any attention towards Clare.

"So, what do you do young man? I mean other than hang around the neighbourhood wasting your time and others? What do you do to try and earn a living or support your hardworking parents?" Karl asked.

Billy's mouth was full. So, he had a chance to calm himself down and give a considered reply.

"I work a couple of jobs now and am trying to start a business," he replied in an even, collected tone, after chewing and swallowing the bite he had.

"Business??!! You are in business? What business are you in Mr. Businessman?" Karl was amused.

"Well, I am still trying to work it out, but it might be in the area of recycling waste," said Billy.

"So, you are not a business man yet? Not yet made a profit?" asked Karl starting to laugh.

"No, Sir. Not yet," said Billy.

"What is holding you back?" demanded Karl.

"Some ideas are not clear yet to act on them," said Billy.

"Well, not everyone can be a businessman.  Anyone can call themselves a businessman. There is no law against it!! One needs CLEAR ideas and goals to be a successful businessman," Karl pontificated.

"Oh?" said Billy

"Yes, now. I could easily be a businessman. I know what EXACTLY is holding me back," he waved his hands around to take in everything and everyone around him,"It is all this. This house and everyone in it," he explained. Billy detected some honesty in his tone.

"If only I had the mortgage for this house paid off," Karl said feelingly,"I would not have to work at my crap government job.I could follow any of the dozen ideas I have for business. I have friends in the wood business and I could easily make a fortune collecting special wood scraps in the countryside and selling them for huge profit in the city. I have everything worked out, but I cannot afford to take the step and last the six months it will take before we make a profit.
It is my misfortune that I am shackled by this house and everyone in it. If I were free of the mortgage, I would in be business and rolling in the money in six months! I still work at this job because it is secure and pays enough to get by.I don't want to put these people at risk.  It will take me another fifteen years to pay off this house."
Karl was waxing eloquent as a martyr to the cause of his family, near and dear ones.

"Well, he is not the only one who is sacrificing his life for this family. I work more hours at the market than he does at the office," Dolly pitched in, suddenly competing with Karl.

They both looked at Harold and Clare with that look of unappreciated do-gooders.

Billy soon left after saying goodbye and waving in the general direction of Dolly and Clare. Clare looked at him leaving without any expression.

A week after Christmas, one day Billy was in Harold's room with Clare. When Harold went to use the bathroom, Billy handed his Christmas present to her. It was slightly crumpled but still intact.

"I got this for you for Christmas, but was afraid of giving it to you that day," explained Billy.

"Thank you Billy. I have nothing for you. I am sorry," she said simply.

"That is OK, Clare," said Billy and meant it. He saw her open her present, it was a little notebook with a fancy cover and a pen holder. She smiled happily and tucked it away in a little bag, under the seat of her wheelchair. Later, he would get notes from her, written on the pages of that very notebook."

"Oh! So sweet! When did they fall in love? When does Ken come into the picture?" asked Sarita.

"I will tell you, after I take a break," said Gilly, getting up and signalling toward the ensuite.

"Me next," said Sarita.

Shanta and Sarita too stood up and stretched their legs.


Copyright  (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved